Information for Immigrants
Information for Immigrants
Immigrant children are eligible to apply for CHIP if they meet the following criteria:
Child has lawfully entered United States and has received legal immigrant or qualified alien status.
A person may be considered a legal immigrant or qualified alien if they are:
- Legally residing in the United States
- A refugee
- An asylee
- A Cuban – Haitian entrant
- An alien whose deportation is being withheld by INS
- An Amerasian immigrant
- A child of a veteran or active-duty U.S. military serviceman
- Children certified by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) as Victims of Trafficking
Q. Is a parent's immigration status part of eligibility?
A. No.
Q. Will families accessing CHIP benefits be considered a "Public Charge"?
A. No. Public Charge is a term used by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to describe people who cannot support themselves and depend on government benefits that provide cash support, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Social Security (SSI) – or they live in a nursing home or other long-term care institution at the government's expense. If an immigrant receives CHIP benefits, INS will not consider the receipt of these benefits as a reason to classify the immigrant as a "public charge".
Q. Does CHIP tell the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) I am applying to CHIP?
A. No. The State of Pennsylvania cannot provide any information to INS about people applying for CHIP or medical benefits. (However people who apply for cash assistance or food stamps can be reported if they reveal they're under a final order of deportation or not lawfully present.) Remember, the child's immigration status – not the parent's – is considered for CHIP eligibility.
Q. Will enrolling a child in CHIP harm me in adjusting my status through INS?
A. No. Regulations state that health care cannot be used to deny individuals' admission to the U.S., to bar legal permanent residence, or to deport. (May 25, 1999 Administration Policy Announcement directed to all federal agencies.)
Q. Does CHIP give my social security and income data to the INS or U.S. Department of State?
A. No. A 1997 federal decision requires this data to be confidential.
Q. Is my Social Security Number required?
A. No. A parent's social security number is not required. Inability to give a Social Security Number will not affect your child's eligibility for CHIP. A 1997 federal decision requires this data to be confidentially handled.
Q. Is my child's Social Security Number required?
A. Yes. An applicant child's Social Security Number is required to determine eligibility for CHIP. This number will be confidentially handled and will only be used to ensure that your child is enrolled in the correct program with the correct insurance provider.
Q. If I enroll my child in CHIP, can I later be asked to pay back the money?
A. No. Neither the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania nor the INS can require you to repay a lawfully received benefit. They will not accept it even if you want to pay it back.
Q. How Do I Apply?
A. You may apply for CHIP:
- Online at www.compass.state.pa.us.
- With a paper application – click here to download
- Over the phone by calling 1-800-986-KIDS.
